Jain Digest 2014 11

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 22

JAIN DIGEST
He devoted his talk on Jaina philosophy' and 'philosophy Parsee (Zoroastrian) religions but the main focus was on and psychology of the Jainas' and talked about the nature Hindu and Jaina religious symbols which he analyzed in of Jaina Tirthankara and the origin of the universe. He said: great detail. He tried to relate symbols to religious traditions. Jain philosophy, therefore, is not the doctrine of illusion, nor Explaining the significance of the symbols, he enumerates of emanation, nor of creation. It is rather the doctrine that four reasons and then through a diagram explains the meanteaches the inexpugnability of various properties inextricablying of Jaina Swastika. Swastika is not, as is believed by the combined in a thing.
Westerners, a symbol of good luck in the Indian tradition; In his 'The Occult Law of Sacrifice', he has shown but it stands for a free soul'. There are many scholars who five types of 'sacrifices' expected of people. He believes interpret the Vedas but it is he who explains the meaning of that animals are conscious but humans are self-conscious an eight-pettalled lotus with the help of a picture. and this must be reflected in his sense of sacrifice. He puts people into three categories. The lowest are immoral and
There are other symbols of the Jainas: the sacred ignorant. In the middle category are the ones who try to in- thread. Virchand Gandhi illustrates that we Jainas say that dulge their senses and love to enjoy good food and clothes. the three rounds represent the three sets of prophets that Those in the higher class are the ones who spend their time have flourished in all ages. There have been innumerable and energy for spiritual good.
prophets but we take three sets-immediately connected with
our time-the past, the present, and the future. In the immediThe first sacrifice to be made is of the sensual plea- ate past we had 24, in the present 24, and in the near future sures. The second for the ancestors and parents, the third there will be 24. Therefore, the three rounds of the sacred for the needy and the deprived class, the fourth for the wel- thread represent three sets of prophets who have left their fare of the animals and the fifth sacrifice is of time, money sublime teachings as our heritage. It means we carry these and energy for study and spiritual benefit. These five types teachings on our shoulders and practise them every day. It of sacrifices will transform animal man into a true human be- is a symbol of our willingness to practise and obey the teaching, he averred.
ings given us by our prophets.
Virchand Gandhi's address on 'Have Christian Mis
There is another symbol of the Jainas, and that is sions to India been successful before the members of the the picture of the elephant. The picture is symbolic. The great Nineteenth Century Club of New York, established him as forest is the world. The man in the well is the ordinary worldly a powerful exponent of Indian culture. To attack Christian man. The well with its dangers is the life of that man, over beliefs and practices on American soil in the presence of which all men are suspended who care for nothing beyond Christian community was an act of rare courage. It showed the present life. The elephant after him is death. The great that he could be blunt in telling the truth and was an ardent serpent at the bottom of the well is the lowest existence to patriot who castigated the activities of missionaries in India. which those go, who will not make an effort to escape and He pointed out in a forthright manner the glory that is India who waste their forces in a useless or evil life with no effort and asserted most eloquently that India is not a country of or desire to rise to a higher life-who live for the present life tigers, cobras, lions and jugglers but it has a rich culture, only. The four snakes in the walls of the well are the symbols spiritual heritage, literature, science and a vibrant soul. He of Anger, Vanity, Deceit and Greed. vehemently deplored the vicious campaign to defame this ancient country by those influenced by western culture. He
The trunk of the tree represents the short duration also dwelled upon the profound Indian philosophical pre- of our earthly life. The two rats, black and white, represent cepts and tenets and its ancient system of education and time (our month is divided into the light half and the dark thundered: "My brothers and sisters of America, there is not half) which exhausts our earthly duration. The bees in the a shadow of hope of Christianizing India." What an assertion honey-comb are the organs of senses – the honey drops, on American soil and in front of Christian audience!
represent the sensuous pleasures, and the monk represent
the Truth - Religion. So the whole symbol means this that "In one sentence, the method I advocate is that of the ordinary man of the world thinks he will not be cut of from Self-recognition' - the education of all the faculties of body life at once, satisfies himself by enjoying the sensuous pleaand of soul, devoutly recognizing responsibility to the Infinite sures derived from the senses, and does not care to receive or universal good. Such propagandism, whatever it may be the truths offered by true philosophy; he being influenced by supposed to lack, would never want success, would never sentiments of anger, vanity, deceit and greed represented by fail to meet with responsive co-operation in all lands among the four serpents. all people and would from the start and for ever make the world better and better."
Anekantvad: The other symbol is that of seven
blind men and the elephant. The seven blind men wanted Jain Symbols: The talk on 'Symbolism', by Virchand to know what kind of an animal an elephant was. In that Gandhi in Washington D. C., reflected his deep study of the symbol the Jainas show that no one should preach that a subject coupled with his erudition. He interpreted the reli- certain religion is the whole truth. There is a Jaina saying gious symbols of Persian, Greek, Roman, Egyptian and which means that the six schools of philosophy are part and
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